Re: Purchase of '91 M5

["Steve" <smcastle@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The E34 M5 is a very reliable car, provided it has received proper
maintenance during it's life.  At 65K miles, I would be concerned
about the waterpump, and would recommend a preventative
replacement to avoid an on-road breakdown.

Have your mechanic give the car a good pre-purchase inspection,
which should include a compression test.  Look for even
compression between the cylinders, and within or close to spec.
Other areas to look for are the condition of the input and output
seals on the transmission, the remaining wear on the clutch disc
(use the special BMW tool to check this), and oil leaks -
particularly at the oil return tube on the rear passenger side of
the block and around the front timing case.

Other than the above and anything revealed in the inspection,
these cars are among the most bullet-proof ever built by BMW.  And
remember, they are the last of the hand-assembled ///M cars.

Steve C.

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